United States vice-captain Tiger Woods smiles during a practice round for the Ryder Cup golf tournament Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016, at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Woods is one of five vice captains for Team USA at the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National, and he has been out and about during practice rounds the past two days, strolling the fairway, sunglasses on, hands in pockets, watching the Americans work on various shots.

Tiger Woods watches the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2016. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

But he will not be addressing the media. A PGA of America spokesman said Wednesday none of the vice captains would speak until the conclusion of the competition on Sunday afternoon.

Woods, who has not played competitive golf in 2016, is all-in with Team USA, talking strategy and giving advice to players and captain Davis Love III.

“He’s in 100 percent,” Brandt Snedeker said Wednesday. “He’s probably spent more time in the last three weeks on this stuff than all the other assistant captains put together. That’s how much he cares about it. It’s infectious.”

Sidelined after two back surgeries, Woods probably has extra time on his hands. He said recently he plans to return to tournament golf in October. Between practice sessions at home in Jupiter Island, Fla., he spent a lot of time calling and texting U.S. players.

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“He called me two weeks ago, you know, and started talking to me then,” Snedeker said. “We were on the phone for an hour and a half. Called me several times, and … to say it’s unusual to get a call from Tiger Woods would be pretty accurate. I don’t get a lot of those calls.

“Got to the point where I was joking around, like, ‘You’re calling me more than my wife is right now.’ “

Tad Reeve is the Pioneer Press sports editor. A former golf writer at the Pioneer Press, he was sports editor at the La Crosse (Wis.) Tribune and Eau Claire (Wis.) Leader-Telegram before coming to St. Paul. A three-sports athlete at King University in Tennessee, time has taken its toll on his body, and he is now content to watch and write about sports.

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